Plant breeding, plant product development, plant product characterization, and plant product commercialization processes often require, for each genotype or breeding line, the creation of a large number of seed aliquots from a bulk or composite seed sample. For example, in agricultural research, it is often necessary to segregate a seed aliquot from a bulk sample such that the seed aliquot includes one or more selected seeds (representing a statistically-significant population, for example). Such seed aliquots must also sometimes be treated with a selected treatment compound (such as a particular fungicide or insecticide, for example) and packaged with a unique indicia that allows a researcher or field technician to easily identify the seed aliquot, as well as the handling history and treatment history of the seed aliquot.
High-throughput bulk seed sample processing systems for corn and other plant seeds are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,706,989, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Such systems provide automated high-throughput capacity for cleaning and sorting a bulk sample of seeds and placing the bulk sample in a bag or other bulk container with identifying information. However, conventional labor-intensive processes must be used in downstream steps for separating seed aliquots from the bulk sample and sorting the seed aliquots into seed packets or other containers in preparation for planting. For example, in conventional corn research processes, seed aliquots must be counted out by hand, carried by hand to other treatment stations (such as a fungicide treatment bath), and packaged by hand. Such conventional research processes also rely heavily on written records to maintain the identification and traceability of the seed aliquot as it is advanced from the counting step to planting in a specified research plot. Such conventional research processes for counting, treating, packaging, and planting a seed aliquot are not only labor-intensive, but may also introduce error that may be detrimental to the integrity of the results of the experiments that rely on accurate seed aliquot counts, accurate documentation of the treatments applied to each seed aliquot, and accurate placement of the seed aliquot in a specific research plot (such as, in a specific row of a research field).
Thus in order to facilitate the accurate separation, preparation, and packaging of seed aliquots, there is a need in the art for an automated system and method for receiving a research protocol and automatically preparing a seed aliquot for planting in response to the received research protocol. There further exists a need in the art for a system and method that is less labor intensive than conventional seed aliquot procedures and accurately records and preserves an identity of the seed aliquot including, for example, the bulk sample from which the seed aliquot was counted, the identity of any treatments applied to the seed aliquot, and a location or identity of a planting location where the seed aliquot is to be planted.